Floors and ceilings of buildings are sometimes formed by joining together construction panels. Furthermore, concrete may be placed on the panels to form a combined floor. The present invention relates to a construction panel that is strong, relatively light, may be easily joined to other panels, and to which concrete can be firmly fixed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,127,962 to James discloses a construction panel having edge ribs at both ends of a flat plate. The edge ribs have connecting members formed by folding the edges of the ribs located at both ends of the plate into the same shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,290,850 to Byrne Jr., et al. discloses a translucent plastic ceiling panel having edge ribs which are folded to form flat heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,011 to Straus discloses a construction panel having edge ribs which are folded to form connecting members of the same shape at both ends of a flat plate. The panels also have ridges on the flat plate for increasing the strength of the panel.
These known construction panels have ribs only at the ends of the flat plate. This lack of central support results in a general lack of strength in the panels. This means that the panels may bend and warp while being carried. Furthermore, the lack of a central rib to provide strength means that reinforcement between edge ribs is necessary when forming a combined floor.
Even if a central rib were provided for reinforcement to the known panels, it would not be sufficient to firmly fix concrete to the panels.
Additionally, the known panels do not provide a way to attach pipes and the like to the back faces of the panels when the panels are used to form a ceiling.